Jack O' Lanterns and Role Models
by jazzmonkey
Summary: JJ is ready to give up on her son. Henry just won't agree to Halloween traditions. She's just about ready to give up, when one call made by her husband changes everything. Reid never expected this. Based on Episode 8x05 Promo.


**Jack O' Lanterns and Role Models**

"Henry, please?" she asked again. She was a bit tired after coming home from yet another day at the BAU. She loved her job, but that didn't mean it wasn't stressful.

Will looked at her sympathetically, knowing the true uselessness of her plight. "Cher, give it up. Henry just doesn't want to celebrate Halloween."

She glanced at her son, who was pouting cutely, sitting with his arms crossed on the floor, "Why Will? Why wouldn't he want to go trick-or-treating? It's a tradition! He gets candy! He loves candy!"

He shrugged. Her husband was truly helping her. He was an amazing man, but sometimes he was just so honestly clueless. She sighed, "Fine. At least we have three more days before it's actually Halloween."

Their son was still comfily sitting on the floor, watching his parents go back and forth interestedly, as if he was actually able to comprehend it all. He still smiled, giggling at his parent's silly behavior.

"Well, we'll figure it out later Cher. How about we put him down and go to sleep ourselves?" Will said.

"Alright," JJ answered, a smile on her face. Halloween could wait, her boy was calling for her.

At four o' clock Halloween night, she was getting the last minute candy for Halloween. If she was going to be staying home, might as well get everything ready now.

JJ held Henry to her hip as she picked up the phone, "Hello?"

"JJ?" a familiar voice echoed.

"Yeah Spence, what's up?" she asked. His voice was steady, so that meant he was alright. She wondered briefly why he was calling on Halloween night when she knew he had plans to go see some foreign horror movie or the other.

He paused for a second, "Um, Will called and said you were having some trouble with Henry?" he questioned hesitantly. "I'm not sure why he called me, but he said that I might be able to help?" He could hear his godson's clapping in the background and slight murmurs, but decided to ignore it.

On the other end, Henry was gleefully trying to reach for the phone that held his beloved Uncle Spencer's voice. He loved Uncle Spencer, he always bought the child new things, usually accompanied by something bright from his fairy godmother Penelope Garcia.

"If you think you can get Henry into a costume, by all means, go ahead. Good luck Spencer," JJ finished heavily before he heard soft sounds of the phone passing hands.

"Uncle 'Pencer!" a happy voice shouted. Reid could almost imagine the boy holding the phone, his blond hair being pushed back by the white piece, his eyes crinkled as he smiled.

"Hey Henry," he replied, "How are you?"

"Good!"

"Mommy tells me that you aren't getting dressed for Halloween. Why not?"

"Ha'oween scary. It dark and scary."

"Henry, it's not scary. How about I come over and we can go trick-or-treating together?" he questioned.

Henry smiled at the idea of his uncle visiting, "You come Uncle 'Pencer. We have fun at home."

"Aw, Henry. Halloween's my favorite holiday though. Please Henry, for Mommy and Daddy?" Reid asked. He always had to work so hard to keep a conversation at an average human's level, yet with Henry it came so naturally.

"For Uncle 'Pencer too?"

He smiled, "Sure. For Uncle Spencer." Suddenly, he heard the phone being shoved into something a screech and the sound of pattering feet.

"Geez Reid, what did you tell him?"

"Why what happened?" he asked.

She chuckled, "He just ran over to me, gave me the phone, yelled something about not telling him, and then rushed up the stairs to his room."

"I told him Halloween was my favorite holiday."

"That was it?" he heard a faint snort, "If I knew it were that easy, I could have saved a day's worth of pleading Spencer."

"Sorry?"

"Just come on over. Will's working late today, and he called to tell me that I should go with one of you guys if Henry changed his mind."

"Okay, I'll be there in a couple minutes."

"A couple minutes? Wait, Reid, where are you?"

Reid blushed, even though she couldn't see him, "I might be a mile from your house."

"You were already on your way over?" she stated, trying to stifle another chuckle.

"Er…"

"I'll go get Henry ready. You know how to get in."

Within minutes, Reid was entering the house. He just shut the door when he was bombarded with hands clutching his legs. He picked his godson up to take a look at his costume. "What're you supposed to be Henry?"

His godson was sporting slacks, a shirt with a tie and a sweater vest, complete with brown bag hanging over his shoulder.

"I'm you!"

He smiled, "I like it Henry." The little boy beamed, and settled into Reid's arm.

"Me?" he questioned JJ as she grinned.

"He refused to be anything else. Luckily, I had a purse that worked last minute."

He wasn't sure how he felt about his messenger bag being referred to as a purse, but for Henry, he would bear it. He set Henry down so he could grab his pail and JJ grabbed her own black purse.

As they walked out, Henry spotted a bright orange ball the next house down, "What that?"

JJ smiled at the where her son was pointing. "That's a jack o' lantern."

Henry looked at his mother from his spot feet below her, "What that?"

"Well the jack o' lantern actually…" he stopped when he realized he was about to explain this concept to a child. He pretended no to see his friend biting her lip in an effort to stop a jibe and gave his godson a little grin, "It's a pumpkin with a candle in it. People cut a face into it so we can see the light. See?"

"It name is Jack?" the little boy said, his bag swishing alongside him.

"Yeah, it is."

"It pretty. Like Mommy."

Reid chuckled slightly as JJ bit her lip. Now, it was her turn to feel slightly offended. Sure, it was pretty, but to be compared to a pumpkin?

She shot her friend a look and then took her son's hand, "Come on Henry, let's go get your candy."

He nodded his head, and shoved his pail into his mother's hand as they reached the first house. She looked at him before gently saying, "Honey, you need this to get candy."

Henry shook his head, "No, I use this! Just like Uncle 'Pencer!" he said happily, opening up the bag. He closed it after the woman at the door put candy in it, commenting on his cute costume and his shout of saying he was his uncle.

JJ sighed, "Wow, Reid. I think that sometimes my son likes you more than me."

Reid smiled, digging candy out of his own brown messenger bag, "Happy Halloween JJ."

**Boo! Jazz here :) Reid loves Halloween, so it just seemed fitting. Like it?**


End file.
